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Some years ago I learned from my ultrarunning coach, Scott Jurek, bestselling author of Eat and Run, that to boost your endurance and ultrarunning performance, you have to slow down.You can’t go out every day and run your hardest.In fact, your body needs you to slow down and work other systems that support speed.Going slow on a lot of training days allows your body to recover and perform at a higher level, giving you more energy to … Read more

I believe there is a deep flaw in business today. A gap in our thinking. A missed opportunity. Good should not be reserved for non-profits, for discussions of social responsibility, for fringe companies that do something good while making a profit. Good should be a part of every business vision or mission, whether overtly stated … Read more

To fuel growth, many of our clients are pursuing company-wide innovation initiatives. We often assist in these large scale efforts by providing innovation processes and creativity training. A client recently requested a few tips to help individuals think more creatively as their company-wide innovation effort takes hold. Here are ten tips I shared with my client:

1. Find creative inspiration. One great way to keep your ideas flowing is to surround yourself with things that inspire you. Gather a … Read more

Whether you’re managing a company, a department, a brand, or your career, it’s important to have a clear picture of the future. As innovation becomes a driving force in virtually all industries, a clear vision provides a guide for where to take your entity.

A well-articulated vision tells you where you want to be in the future without getting bogged down in how you’ll get there. The “how” work comes with strategies, objectives and goals. If innovation is part of … Read more

I have a confession to make. I’m addicted to generating ideas. There is nothing better than a blank sheet of paper, begging for new ideas. I can easily spend hours generating ideas for virtually any problem, challenge or creative need. Lucky for me, at SparkFire I work with clients to help them generate breakthrough ideas for their businesses. When it comes to my own ideas, I sometimes lose momentum when moving an idea from a concept in my mind to … Read more